Lyft drivers are in Taco Hell.
The ride-sharing company and Taco Bell have teamed up for “Taco Mode” – allowing for passengers in Orange County, California, to enjoy a “ride-thru” stop at their local Taco Bell between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.
But Lyft drivers are fuming that the late-night double chalupa runs will leave their vehicles a stinky, hot mess.
“Taco Bell tacos are notoriously messy and spill lettuce and cheese and that taco meat juice, and you know passengers will be wiping their greasy hands on our seats,” griped the Lyft driver on Facebook. “Lyft is setting us up to be bad guys and our cars to be trashed and that is NOT acceptable.”
He also noted that drivers risk getting poor ratings if they crack down on passengers eating during their trip.
“It’s not ok for Lyft to put pressure on drivers to allow eating in our cars,” he wrote.
Incensed drivers – many of whom work for both Lyft and competitor Uber — also slammed the ill-planned idea on an Uber People thread titled, “Look at this new Lyft’s BS.”
“Hahah, what the ** are they thinking? “I know how we can beat uber! We’ll entice pax with free Taco Bell when they are drunk!” one member, Philbert, railed. “Driver won’t mind waiting in those long 2 AM lines, the increased chance of vomit, fights, or a messy vehicle for no extra pay.”
Fed-up drivers also let it rip on Reddit.
“I’m not dirtying/staining my van and making it smell like dead animals for a couple measly bucks before depreciation, risk, time and taxes,” wrote user Aldebaran333. “I get far more tips BECAUSE it smells great, is spotless and fresh.”
Taco Bell and Lyft are set to test the feature during the next two weekends. The companies expect to expand the service into other markets later this year and roll it out nationwide in 2018.
In a statement, Lyft said all of the participating drivers opted into the campaign.
“At Lyft, we take great care to ensure any in-car activation or mode is a great experience for the passenger and driver. Taco Mode celebrates something many of our passengers and drivers are already doing together — stopping at the Taco Bell drive-thru on the way home,” the statement said. “During the test phase, we will be collecting feedback from passengers and drivers to inform the program as Taco Mode rolls-out nationally.”
Taco Bell didn’t immediately return a request for comment.



